Carol Weidman, left, made her initial court appearance yesterday after being charged with homicide in the death of her mother.

BRUCE ASATO | The Honolulu Advertiser

A 25-year-old woman charged with killing her mother at their Halawa Heights home last week is expected to remain in custody on $50,000 bail following a court appearance yesterday.

Carol K. Weidman, whose feet were shackled, said nothing during the brief court appearance before Honolulu District Judge Leslie Hayashi. Weidman nodded after the judge confirmed her bail at $50,000 and instructed her to not discuss the matter with anyone except her attorney.

The medical examiner's office has not yet positively identified the victim, but police said her name is Lisa Weidman.

Carol Weidman is accused of killing her 55-year-old mother Wednesday at their Pa'ihi Street home. According to a police affidavit filed in District Court, Carol Weidman told a police officer she feared her mother would harm her.

The affidavit said when Carol Weidman was told at the Pearl City substation that she was under arrest, she said: "My dad always told me that my mother tried to kill him and my two brothers before they got divorced; and that is always in the back of my mind. I had to kill her before she killed me. It was always on my mind."

But a fellow church member of Lisa Weidman's said the mother was not a danger to her daughter.

"No, not at all, she was so nice and kind," said Aida Javier, who leads a prayer group at St. Elizabeth Catholic Church in 'Aiea and who said she had known Lisa Weidman since 1996. "Just quiet, I never ever even seen her get mad. She loved her daughter."

Police said Lisa Weidman's body was found late Wednesday night by the older woman's boyfriend.

According to a police affidavit filed in District Court, the man told police he left the home about 7 p.m. and that he returned about 11 p.m. to find the victim bleeding on the floor. Weidman was in a room directly across the hall from where her mother's body lay.

The victim died of manual strangulation and stab wounds to her neck and chest.

Weidman was arrested early Thursday morning and was charged with second-degree murder Friday night.

The judge scheduled a hearing for tomorrow to determine if Carol Weidman should stand trial. A conviction for second-degree murder carries a mandatory life prison term with the possibility of parole.